For the Sake of Christ

It was Mohammed’s birthday and Pakistani students at Precept Ministries Institute of Training on evangelism begged their teacher Vasile to stay off the streets. “It isn’t safe. To kill or persecute a Christian out of love and respect for Mohammed is a great honor. We know you look like one of our people—you’re dressed like us. But even the tribe you look like you come from is hated because they are nothing but a bunch of bandits. People might try to hurt you just because of that. But if they find out you’re a Christian, you’ll be dead! Don’t go. Don’t take the chance.”

I don’t know why Vasile didn’t heed their warnings, unless it was simply because this is a young man who will do anything for the sake of Christ. An Olympic Tae Kwon Do champion from Moldova, Vasile was transformed after he came to know the Lord Jesus Christ, then discipled by Mia and Costel Oglice, the Eurasian Directors of Precept Ministries International.

As they do with everyone under their leadership, Mia and Costel taught Vasile to use every circumstance as a platform to present the Gospel and inductive study of God’s Word. So Vasile requires his Tae Kwon Do students to take nine Precept courses for their black belts!

Now, having learned a splash of the local language (Urdu) and dressed in local garb, Vasile was getting into a taxi to the protests of his students. He had taught them how to use the Word of God for evangelism; now he wanted to actually show them. Since roads in Kabul are virtually unidentifiable, even a taxi ride to some locale not so far away can take a long time. Vasile knew it was safer than walking and that the extended trip would give him a wonderful occasion to share the Word.

He struck up a conversation with the driver. He asked him about his family, knowing that when the man finished, he would probably ask Vasile about his.

He wasn’t disappointed. When the driver inquired, Vasile said,

“I have one wife [Muslims sometimes have several], named Anastasia. This is my daughter’s name also. Anastasia means ‘resurrection.’ The Koran talks about Jesus as a great prophet of God. Our holy book [Muslims consider the Bible to be holy too] tells us Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but on the third day He was raised from the dead.” (Here, Vasile explained the reason for Jesus’ death and resurrection in detail.)

“I also have three sons,” he continued. “The first is named David, after a prophet who is also mentioned in the Koran. David, the King of Israel prophesied about the coming of Jesus Christ who is the Son of God.” (Vasile explained the unique deity of Jesus Christ.)

“My second son is Daniel. Daniel is the name of another prophet who told us about the future. He said that Jesus is also the Son of Man who will someday reign over the earth as King of kings.” (Vasile explained Jesus’ humanity and the future in greater detail.)

“My name is Vasile, which means ‘king’ or ‘one belonging to a king.’” (Vasile then told the driver how he came to know and belong to the King.)

When the ride ended and Vasile emerged from the taxi, the man stopped, rolled down the window, put out his hand and said, “Thank you for what you shared with me. I never heard these things before.”

Vasile went to Pakistan for the sake of Christ. Living conditions there are deplorable. The same broom that sweeps the ground sweeps the tables people eat from. Although he came home very sick with hepatitis, pancreatitis, and salmonella, Vasile would do it again for the sake of Christ.

The world is on the heart of God—so much so that He sent His Son to die for sin. But people can’t believe in someone they don’t know. Listen with a tender heart to Romans 10:13-15, 17:

For “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

O Beloved, do you realize there are about 6.3 billion people in this world God created? Most of them don’t have the Gospel. If they don’t repent and believe Jesus is God, the Son of God, they will spend eternity in the lake of fire “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” It’s hard to believe, isn’t it—that when people die their destinies are sealed! Yet according to the Word of God, there’s no second chance. “After [death] comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Some rationalize this truth away: “God is a God of love,” they say, “He wouldn’t do something like that. . . He’d never send a man to hell when there was no way for him to know, to hear . . . Surely He . . .”

Why do we refuse to listen to the Word of God? To believe that Jesus meant what He said—especially when He spoke so much more about hell than heaven! His very mission was to rescue mankind from this certain, eternal death.

Hell is a reality…as eternal as heaven, according to the last verses of Matthew 25. And that’s why, Beloved, for the sake of Christ we must be about our Father’s business. Our Father’s business (as you just read from Romans) is to share the Gospel, to teach people the Word of God. Nothing is more important—NOTHING!

What are you doing, my fellow Christian, for the sake of Christ? Jesus came not to be ministered to, but to minister—to give His life a ransom for many. You and I are to carry on His work. We must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. According to 2 Timothy 4:1-2, we should proclaim His Word in season and out.

Let me encourage you to pray for your divine opportunity to share with someone today. Such a great hope we all have! Like Vasile, let’s be on the alert to give an account for the Hope that is within us.